Love at First Sight
by StarryNight1307
Summary: Before the greatest love story ever told. A "Romeo and Juliet" prequel.


**A/N: This is something I did a while back. It is a little different and quite long. I don't plan on taking it any further I just figured someone would enjoy it. Sorry it's not broken up into chapters. :) **

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The masquerade ball was spectacular. The large ballroom seemed alive with the fluid movements of the dancers, the low thrum of chatter from the bystanders and the seeming maze of people with beautiful fabric flowing after them creating a pulsing sea of silk. This was all accompanied by beautiful music played by over fifty musicians and the masks. The masks were everywhere so that one was never quite sure who was who which created a marvellous game of illusion. This was perfect for Marcus Capulet, who wished to be kept hidden. The ball had been thrown in his honour, for he was now 16 and a man and one in need of a wife at that. There were many young women present with the intention of marrying him. He could easily make his way through the maze and dance with whoever he wished without it being known who he was. This meant that young ladies wouldn't try and impress him and flatter him because of his name and the proposed marriage.

Marcus had been weaving his way through the sea of people for the past several hours dancing with various girls as he went yet still he hadn't met anyone who had completely captivated him. Before the ball his father had come up to speak to him. Marcus knew that it was something very important as his father and himself usually communicated through the servants and only speaking face to face when a conversation of upmost importance needed to be had between them. He had informed him that when he was looking for a wife the right person would captivate him. After his he had immediately stood, then left. So far no one had done this to him and the night was nearly over.

The band struck up a new song and Marcus found yet another new partner, there seemed an endless amount of women to dance with. This lady was like everyone one before, pretty and polite, but she didn't seem to fit quite right with himself. They finished the dance and swapped partners again. Marcus was hardly interested in the dancing and he would have preferred to have been sleeping in his private chambers. He decided to not make the effort of polite conversing he had previously felt obligated to perform. Marcus looked up and saw an unnoticeably beautiful stranger in front of him. She was not wearing a mask, which was very unusual, as everyone else in the labyrinth seemed to possess one. She smiled at him and it seemed as if a candle had been lit across her face. Her smile was radiant and the candle warmed up Marcus as he felt his cheeks reddening. He smiled back at her and greeted her; Marcus could see that her cheeks were darkening also. She responded back to him, the conversation easily followed neither of them were concentrating on the dancing nor the words but rather the dancer and the speaker. Marcus was mesmerised by her, feeling as though he was dancing to the sweet tinkling of her voice as they idly talked.

The song ended and Marcus surprisingly felt intense disappointment at the prospect of no longer experiencing the presence of this girl. He knew that he wanted to marry her, who's name he could not quite remember. He asked her if she would like to dance again. She corrected him that she certainly did not want to dance any longer and that her name was Margaret. Marcus inquired as to whether she would like to go to the gardens, as it was a glorious evening outside, to which she nodded assent. They left shortly after Margaret had retrieved her mask and cloak. After they had swam through the bulging sea of people they found themselves in a garden so perfect and in a night so perfect that it was as if they had been drawn into a painting. They slowly walked around the gardens, strangely encountering no one, and talked about whatever seemed natural. After what seemed but a few precious moments, which in reality was three quarters of an hour, the music slowly died down and through the window they could see the tide was going out. Marcus took Margaret's face and gently slid off her mask to reveal her beauty and shining eyes. He kissed her softly and the two promised to be married the very next morning at ten o'clock. They entered into the hall and took their separate paths.

Marcus soon found the comfort of his chamber but knew he had to inform his father of the decision. He slowly approached his father's drawing room and gently rapped his knuckles in the door. Suddenly, he became rather anxious as it was the first time he had ever approached his father about anything, a wave of nausea overcame him. He heard his father's booming voice come through the thick door and he entered. Marcus knew that it would only be reasonable if he let his father start.

"Well?" came the questioning voice from a corner of the large room. Marcus realised that he had never been in the room before but regardless knew where it was.

"Ah, father. Well...I..ah", stammered Marcus in response. He sucked in all the air his lungs could reach and continued, feeling more confident, "I have taken the advice you so kindly gave me this afternoon and found myself an honourable match for, ah, well you understand." He couldn't quite give the words "marriage" life as it would become too realistic for him.

"Spit it out boy!" commanded the voice from the corner. "I have not got all the time that you youth seem to think I have or ought to have. I will probably die any day and I have no use for stammering and stuttering and certainly no time for implications."

"Sorry father, I truly meant no harm. What I meant to say is that I have chosen a suitable bride and we are to be married on the morrow." Marcus could not quite believe his forthrightness, especially with his father, and it left him quite astounded.

"Are you going to tell me who it is or am I to be kept up until the ridiculous hours of the night?" this reply was carried across the room in such a way that Marcus could hardly be kept from laughing or shrinking away in terror.

"No sir, sorry sir. I wish to marry Margaret." Marcus proudly stated.

"Oh yes, that is of the upmost helpfulness my dearest son. Now which Margaret mightn't that be, as obviously I am far too old and of inadequate intelligence to guess your little secret." Marcus could not quite believe what he was hearing or the fact that he did not actually know the girl's family name.

"Oh, that would be Margaret Gonzalo." Marcus smoothly lied. He knew that the Gonzalo family had a daughter named Margaret or at least he thought he knew and it seemed likely that that would be the last name. He could find no fault in his logic.

"I will contact Lord Gonzalo tomorrow after the ceremony and make it look as though my runner had been sent earlier so that you will be married before they can object and it won't be my fault." Came the strange reply from Lord Capulet which was followed by Marcus' dismissal.

Marcus was overjoyed at the night's events and did not stop to ponder his fathers peculiar behaviour. He went straight to his bed and slept soundly until he was woken by the maids in the morning.

The ceremony was very small and quite secret. Marcus was delighted to find his father had arranged everything for him and Margaret had sent a messenger to confirm the marriage. She was beautifully clothed but the cloth was no comparison to her own beauty. They went straight from the cathedral to an elaborate banquet and ball that had been thrown for them but without anyone knowing as to why yet another ball had been held by the Capulets. They danced together all evening without any interruptions and no one questioned them as their identities were lost behind their masks which were soon lost in the rippling ocean.

Marcus felt as if he could have danced with his bride for eternity but he knew that they would have to stop. Once they stopped they were bathed separately and brought into their new shared chamber; they consummated their marriage and all was bliss for Marcus. He did not know if anything could ruin what he had with his beautiful Margaret.

Three weeks had come and gone and the marriage had become official when no word had been sent from Lord Gonzalo. This was very strange but nothing was questioned and life went on as it had before the marriage. It was soon noticed that Margaret was indeed with child and Marcus was delighted, as was his father who dreamed of an heir. The whole of Verona seemed to be happy for them and nothing was amiss excluding the queer disappearance of the young Lord Montague's wife. Her name was Mary Montague and had been declared missing before Marcus' masked ball, the event according to Marcus that started true happiness. Marcus had never met the girl before but he fully understood the distress that her absence was causing his wife although she said nothing of it which indicated to Marcus that they were tightly bound together, tighter than any marriage contract could allow.

Days passed and Marcus was still enjoying the ecstasy of new love but his beautiful Margaret was becoming disturbingly ill. Marcus guessed it had something to do with the Lady Montague's disappearance but he was anxious that it was issues with the child inside her. He had heard of so many incidents where the baby dies in the womb before it is born and mothers that die of this because of prior health issues or grief. He was constantly watching her when he had the time to and always kept her mind off of the Montagues and other nobility and kept her away from thoughts of their child. She rarely wanted to leave the house and when she proceeded to venture a walk in the town centre she was very nervous, twitchy and cautious about whom she talked to especially servants of the Montagues. Marcus began to became ill with anxiousness about his wife as it seemed as if she had a brain disease. He had heard numerous rumours of young women misplacing their sanity with it only to be recovered after decades of it being lost. This alarmed Marcus intensely causing him to go to the Cathedral for confession thrice a day so as to have the Friar pray for and over his living dead wife and the child inside her. During one of his journeys to consult the Friar, Margaret had come with him, the two were called to a stop by a large wealthy looking man who Marcus knew to be Lord Montague.

"At last we have found you my dearest." bellowed a sadistic, powerful voice. This booming sound caused Margaret to look up quickly into the eyes of Lord Montague at the sight of which she fell to a faint. This startled Marcus greatly for he saw no logic in the previous events and was quite shocked into silence. He couldn't seem to produce any sound from his lips whilst picking up his wife off of the cobblestoned street. All he could do was protect her and wish he had been wiser in the matters of this strange affair.

"Why are you holding the so very precious dear in that manner? Why not let her lie in the dirt like the dog she is?" Lord Montague questioned or rather mocked Marcus

Marcus became so immensely infuriated that he forgot who he was and who he was talking to. "Lord Capulet, I am simply looking after a women in a gentlemanly way especially as she can not be left alone at a time like this."

"What time is it then child?"

"It is an enchanting time in a women's life when they are carrying their first child in their womb, Sir."

"Ah, so the wretch is pregnant. It was about time that all my efforts paid off. How exactly do you know that this is her first time with child? Do you know exactly where my little Delilah has been? Do you?"

"To be honest Sir, as I am always honest, I do know exactly where she has been and to be precise who she has been with."

"Take the girl." ordered Montague to his surrounding servant, "bring her to the estate and have her woken up. This is not the time of day to be sleeping." With that Margaret was stolen out of Marcus' arms and the small crowd around him melted away. Marcus was left empty, he could not move from where he stood as he could not think of anything except to what he had just experienced and of his burning hatred for Lord Montague. He knew it was a sin to hate others but he would hate him forever and all of his descendants for taking his Margaret away from him. He was unable to grasp what had had happened except that Margaret was gone and a void left and of this all consuming hatred. He stood in the same place, replaying what had happened until he was carried away by some of his family's servants.


End file.
